As holidaymakers sunned themselves on the golden sand of Acapulco beach, a man carrying a 9mm pistol swam up to the shore, shot a beachwear seller three times in the chest, and calmly made his way back to the jet ski where his accomplice was waiting and disappeared around the rocky headland to the west towards either Playa Tlacopanocha or Playa Manzanillo . . .

The new, ‘James Bond-style’ assassination is the new face of crime on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, where cartel killers are murdering gang rivals in tourist areas – and escape from the beach on high powered jet skis to get away from police.

The latest such execution in broad daylight is the fourth to hit Acapulco this year. Acapulco is in the midst of its worst crime wave for a decade where there were 1,600 murders last year and already 684 in 2016 – or 12 a day.

Beachwear vendor Eduardo García, 46, bled out on the beach as the crowd and his family waited on the police to arrive on the scene. The Mexican police did not arrive for 70 minutes after the incident even though the police station was relatively close to crime scene. His family arrived at the scene before the police even though their home is 10 times farther from the murder scene than is the police station. Eduardo died in the arms of his family while they waited for help.

There’s very rarely an open and close murder case in Acapulco, but this new technique of escaping by sea has the police stumped. 70 minutes after the murder, a police boat traced the criminals’ escape route for any trace of the killers, but all in vain. .(DD; kind of hard to trace a trail through water) The killers who left the salesman for dead on the beach in front of hundreds of onlookers have still not been caught, the case buried under the unceasing daily onslaught of crime.

Analysis From Small Wars Journal

Information related to the motivation behind this targeted killing of a beach front clothing salesmen in the tourist district of the Acapulco beach front is fragmentary at best. It is apparently the fourth incident involving sicario use of jet skis for a targeted killing in Acapulco [1] and suggests that it may be related to ongoing patterns of street taxation (e.g. extortion) by local gangs and organized criminal groups against street vendors and local businesses.

The brazenness of the killing is likely meant to send a message to the other individuals and groups being extorted to either pay their monthly 15% tax to the local criminals or face the consequences. Contextually, it should be noted that the jet ski related killings have taken place during a long period of rampant crime and a high level of homicides gripping Acapulco; averaging out to 12 per day or about 650 so far this year.

‘There are a thousand reasons you can get killed in Acapulco,’ says Margarito Melio, 60, a beach salesman who worked alongside Eduardo and says he knows no reason why his friend would have become a target for the brutal local gangs.

‘He was a good family man,’ he told MailOnline. ‘His wife and kids arrived to see their father die long before the police, and they live at ten times the distance. It was heartbreaking.’

‘Perhaps Eduardo wasn’t paying his dues, or perhaps he was selling drugs on the side, or maybe one of his brothers is a gangster and a rival cartel is making his family suffer,’ he told MailOnline.

Acapulco’s municipal police refused to comment on the case when approached by MailOnline.

‘It was over so quickly, and I’m not just talking about the killing,’ Jaime Mendez, who manages the beach furniture rentals where the crime took place, told MailOnline.

‘Ten minutes after the body was taken away, things were back to normal. Murder has become a daily fact of life in Acapulco.’

And for those die-hard Acapulco holidaymakers like Bryna, the toll that Acapulco’s cartel war has taken on the city no longer justifies the thousands of dollars she pays to come here for her holidays.

‘I still love it here,’ said Bryna, as she looked out over the same ocean that has soaked up so much blood over the years, ‘But only because of the memories I have of how it was before.’

Acapulco is in the midst of its worst crime wave for a decade. A large spate of murders in mid-February was blamed on Pope Francis’ five-day visit to Mexico, when the majority of the military and federal police forces that normally guard the city, were removed to ensure the pontiff’s safety.

More than 100 murders took place in Acapulco during those five days – and the town’s municipal police force was left in charge.’Ironically, there was a lot of blood while the pope was here talking about putting an end to it,’ said Fransisco Robles, a local crime reporter who spends his evenings following the police radios to the latest crime scenes.

‘It may look like paradise, but this place is hell,’ says beach furniture rental manager Jaime, who came to Acapulco from Mexico City three years ago looking for a change of scene.

After nearly a month Eduardo’s jet-ski killers remain on the loose, his family forgotten who held their dead father in their arms forgotten, and the brutal daily average of four homicides has rumbled on unabated.

Arturo Martinez from Iguala, where 43 students went missing at the hands of local police in 2014, had unwittingly allowed his brother to bury him in sand on the same spot where Eduardo had been gunned down a month before.

‘It makes no difference to me,’ he told MailOnline, smiling with his family for the camera. ‘If you went around Acapulco terrified of every spot where a murder had happened you’d never leave your hotel room, or maybe you’d never even enter it.’

‘There are cartel lookouts on every corner, local taxi drivers get involved in kidnappings and it’s better not to discuss anything concerning organised crime because you never know who you’re talking to.’

’50 per cent of the murders here are cartel related,’ says Fransisco, the local reporter.

After that 30 per cent are to do with extortion. Every business in town has to give part of their earnings to the cartel, if you don’t pay up, or they think you’re paying less than you should, they kill you.’

‘After that, about 20 per cent of murder victims simply get killed in the crossfire, wrong place at the wrong time stuff,’ he told MailOnline.

‘The cartels are so well equipped that it’s very easy for a loose bullet to claim a second life after their target is dead.’

Despite a recent fall in tourism, millions of holidaymakers still jet off to Acapulco’s idyllic shores every year. With hotels costing around £35 a night, and a two course meal with a glass of wine costing as little as £15, it was once the prime destination for Americans looking for a cheap break away.

But far from its beaches lined with holidaymakers on sunbeds, many of Acapulco’s poorer residents have been forced to make their homes on the other side of the hills, in sprawling slums that have become loosely known as the ‘Periphery’.

It’s here, in the Acapulco the tourists don’t see, that the majority of the violence occurs.

Jimena Gomez, 17, who lives in the Periphery slums, told MailOnline of the violence she witnesses on a daily basis.

‘I sleep right through the gunfire these days and have learned to look away when I see a murder happening in the street,’ she said standing outside her house that overlooks the Periphery.

‘If the killers see you looking then you’re likely to get a bullet for good measure.’

While the security presence along Acapulco’s beach is heavy, government forces in the Periphery are minimal.The only Mexican military soldiers permitted in the slums are those who are posted outside local primary schools to prevent the kidnap of students and teachers, a business which saw a surge when the drug cartels got hold of public school salary lists.

The phenomenon of kidnapping teachers came to a head five years ago when local criminal cartels began abducting the highest earners, demanding many year’s worth of payment in exchange for their safe return.

One teacher who was kidnapped in 2015 alongside her daughter from the Carlos Carrillo Primary School in the Periphery fled Acapulco immediately following her £10,000 release, vowing never to return.

The soldiers who now guard the school say they regularly see expensive cars with blacked-out windows driving past their posts at the school’s entrance, which now more resembles a prison than a primary school, with razor wire, security cameras and 24-hour military security.

Since the death of the ‘Boss of Bosses’ Arturo Beltran-Leyva, and the subsequent break-up of his Beltran Leyva Cartel which once controlled the whole of south-west Mexico, Acapulco has been fought over by the CIDA (Independent Cartel of Acapulco) and the Devil’s Command (AKA Barredora) cartels.

Acapulco is a valuable territory for organised crime. Guerrero state is the country’s largest producer of raw opium and the majority of this, as well as the refined heroin into which it is made, arrives in southwest Mexico’s largest port city before it is sent northwards to be sold to other cartels, who move the narcotics into the US.

Coupled with the local drug and extortion rackets that the tourism industry lends itself to, Acapulco has become southwest Mexico’s most profitable cartel territory, and the brutality of the gang wars has come to reflect this.

‘In regions controlled by a single cartel you’ll generally see less brutality, but given the war for dominance in Acapulco the killers have to send a messages every time they murder,’ says Francisco.

‘I never go further than 100 yards from my hotel, but now it seems even the beach isn’t safe from the violence,’ said Bryna Freidman from Toronto, 64, who says she has noticed a large drop in visitors to the Pacific resort over the 35 years she’s been an Acapulco regular.

My wife and I both went to Mexico on missions trips, including Juarez. A few days ago she asked me if were would ever let our children go on the same kind of missions trips we went on in High school and college.

My response was an immediate “Absolutely not”. To be honest I got pretty depressed afterwards thinking about the reasons why that was such a simple choice for me.

The whole situation can be summarized in two quotes:
“When both sides have guns, its called a battle; but when only one side has guns, its called a massacre.”
“When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.”

My ‘magic’ comment was completely sarcastic; in no way do I believe in regulation. Anti-gunners clearly believe in that ‘magic’, but of course it’s ridiculous. I am a 2A absolutist, and a concealed carrier, as is everyone else ‘of age’ in my household.

And drug regulations are equally ridiculous, as are marriage regulations, food regulations, hiring quota regulations, wage regulations, tariffs, price supports of any kind; I could go on, but I assume you get the picture.

While I am not an anarchist (because I don’t believe such a thing actually even exists), I am a minarchist; government is, at best, a necessary evil, and must be extremely limited in size, scope, and authority.

I am glad of every fellow 2A supporter, but until we all realize that ANY regulation of voluntary, non-aggressive individual conduct is inappropriate, and that agreeing to regulate the peaceable conduct of others implies that we may be subject to having our peaceable conduct criminalized as well, we can’t win anything but small skirmishes, rather than the war.

Thats tradjik. Once again gangs will run out the money makers n turn it into slums. Even beaches. I had plans on retiring in mexico but not anymore. Juarez known as the city of the dead, Chijuaja, Los Palomas, good places to wind up dead

It for sure is. Then from there, to the rest of the US, including the reddest of red cities, which after all, differ less than 5% wrt laws and legal climate, from San Francisco.

I know it’s unpopular to point it out, but Latin America, as in it’s people, will be “saved” by Islam. The Church and the moral codes it once at least tentatively instilled in people, is pretty much dead. Victim of similar hysteria and silliness that killed it in the US and Europe. In it’s place, is a secular state. Which, again like anywhere else that particular malady has been tried, is simply shorthand for destroying anything worth bothering with, solely for the aggrandizement of a gaggle of self promoters..

I know there are Islamic preachers in Latin America already, particularly in Brazil. They’ll find ground almost as fertile there, as they did in Africa. And, like all developments highly dependent on “network effects” and positive feedback, the growth will be exponential. Empirically undetectable almost indefinitely, right up until it’s everywhere and too late to “do much” about. In the process demonstrating the fallacy of yet another one of “our” secular states’ founding beliefs: The notion that empiricism is much of a useful tool in the social sciences.

I think the major and fatal failing is not noticing that, relative to some other culture/religion matrix like Islam, you are lunch. We go soft because our most protected classes (professors, rich suburban housewives, highly affluent urban socialites) become utterly convinced that the wonderful novelty of cultural diversity is more important than the survival and well-functioning of their own children and grand-children, They come to think their money will prevent family loss. Boy, are they wrong.

Slavery is still an active business in Sudan. The typical enslaved victims are black Christian South Sudanese. Yep. Race and religion! But I’m supposed to lie about US social conditions to keep the little undergraduate buggers calm. I’m supposed to hire by quota instead of by blind application of skills tests. I’m actually a bit irritated that our President sends troops and food to save Muslims before saving the Christians they are exterminating. God knows we’ve handed enough war material to the Jewish. Why not the Christians in Syria and Iraq to? Puzzling.

I know it is the utopia fantasy of libertarians to have all drugs legal. They say it will end violence in Mexico and the US.
The anti gun people are the same. They say if you get rid of all guns there will a utopia in the world.
Both groups of criminals are not going to give up the violence that brings them power and pleasure.

We don’t say it will ‘end violence’. Violence has been around a long time.

However, we do believe it will substantially decrease violence. There is strong evidence to support that. And there’s zero evidence to suggest it would increase. There’s also strong evidence to suggest drug use would not change, and zero evidence to suggest it would rise substantially.

But let’s say we free marketers are half wrong, and drug trade violence stays the same. For zero change in drug gang violence, hundreds of billions in ‘Drug War’ savings, redeployment of police assets to combat non-victimless crime (perhaps catching those dealers that do the killing?), that sounds like a massive win to me.

Yes. Yes I do. No need to be rude about it; we can certainly respectfully disagree.

What happened to the Prohibition era violence associated with the alcohol trade? Why do Beer companies duke it out via advertisements instead with firearms, like they did during Prohibition?

When you make a highly desirable (to some) product illegal, you don’t decrease the market for it. You simply insure that only criminals will engage in the sale.

And since they can’t use legal means for transport, to protect and insure their goods, to make their goods, to store and manage their profits, the result is that violent powerful people end up controlling the market.

Why isn’t there a violent market for AIDS medicine, or Motrin, or Penicillin?

“When you make a highly desirable (to some) product illegal, you don’t decrease the market for it. You simply insure that only criminals will engage in the sale.”

100% correct! There is hope for you!

When you outlaw guns, only the criminals will have them. And as the thugs use them to do what thugs do, the citizens will be outraged that *they* are helpless prey to the thugs.

Especially when they look at the US Constitution and see that that is a right they are supposed to be guaranteed.

Here’s a clue for you: Focus on incarcerating the thugs that use guns. Incarcerate them for decades at a time. 10-20-Life sounds like a good start. Leave the law-abiding citizens who responsibly and lawfully use their firearms the hell alone.

I know that it’s a difficult concept for you to wrap your head around. I really do empathize with you.

Consider it an excellent opportunity for you to work on your tolerance & coping skills.

Tolerance of others is something good Progressives are supposed to value in others.

I won’t engage in an ad hominem style ‘discussion’; your derisive tone is simply a substitute for name calling, and it certainly doesn’t contribute to a polite disagreement. I won’t respond again to taunts and insults, except to say that you have made several assumptions about my politics and beliefs; they are all incorrect.

Trying to bully others into silence seems to work for Donald Trump, but it’s not in any way equivalent to engaging in a debate. ‘Cutting out a man’s tongue doesn’t prove him a liar; it merely shows the world you fear what he has to say’.

Us non totalitarians just point out the idiocy inherent to both camps. Laws BANNING x don’t solve anything. For any x. Period. Ever. The childish notion that they do, is just another fallacy of a feeble mind.

There seems to be a lot of miscommunication going on in this thread. I think most of the comments were actually agreeing that very restrictive gun laws do not work, and that laws making certain recreational drugs, say cannabis, are a huge was of taxpayer money.

If I were King I’d make cannabis legal and increase penalties for public drunkenness or fighting while under the influence of alcohol.

The same reason statists are OK with paying taxes: As long as someone else pays more than me, it’s a-ok. Intellectually incapable of grasping the big picture, all they are capable of focusing on, is their own relative standing versus those surrounding them.

“Most details about the FX-05 are classified as Top Secret, as this is supposed to be a distinctive indigenously-produced weapon for use by Mexico’s elite forces. This is to prevent anti-government and criminal organizations from mocking-up copies to aid in infiltrating secure areas, impersonating military personnel, or appear to have legitimate support for their cause and its actions. It also helps to prevent hostile or enemy forces from learning the abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the new weapon series.”

Too many people…not enough legit jobs. 80mil people 1985, 130mil in 2016 (not counting those who snuck over the border) OK, we do win war on drugs and cartels disappear – then what jobs are there? It’s only going to get worse. Hate to say it, but a wall seems to be working for Isreal

…for the cartels, and therefore increase the profit for the government officials.

I’ve long wondered why the last four Mexican presidents (including Vincente Fox) needed expert legal counsel in Philadelphia, and why each in succession used the same firm. The world is full of mysteries.

The US gov’t and business community have tremendous influence in Mexico. They simply don’t want to rock the boat. “You get to use our cheap labor. We get to sell meth and heroin north. OK?” Nothing gets fixed. Money gets made. Peasants die. Next case.

He sells “beachwear” right? Grab a few t-shirts or other clothing, pack the wounds with them, and apply direct pressure. Sterile? Hardly, but any kind of infection can be treated later after the bullets are removed in a hospital OR.

Being the cynic I am, I would not be surprised if the slow response by the police is a function of the police and cartels on the same team (not saying they are and not discounting that they may have been busy w/ other murders elsewhere). Kind of a “if you help our enemies (the people we kill), we will also kill you.” So people don’t help because they are afraid of reprisals.

I hope not.
However, if it did, (barring additional Sate/Fed reinforcements) this would be a perfect opportunity for local militias to start mustering like the autofesensas (sp) in Mexican towns sans the restrictive gun laws (except for California). Would this not be a textbook threat that the militia is supposed to fight off?

That being said, if that level of violence started happening on this side of the border, I would imagine the government’s response would be quite strong at the behest of the people (Not sure where that force would be focused though, the border or us). As long as it is just people and drugs, they don’t care. Piles of dead American’s might (emphasis on might) actually get their attention.

Company paid week long trip to Acapulco 30 yrs. ago for me and my husband. It was pretty nice at the Acapulco Princess Hotel. Did notice glass shards embedded on top of rock fence around the whole complex, tour guide’s suggestion we not venture into the city on our own. That and police in jeeps w/mounted semiautomatic rifles, on downtown streets, told me we’re not in Kansas anymore Toto!

The first place I ever saw the pretty colored shards of glass embedded in cement on top of a boundary wall was at Marjorie Post’s Mar-a-lago 47 years ago. Now it’s Trump’s place. It recently showed up on some walls in my vacation Spanish neighborhood. When the colors glint in the morning sun the walls have an odd beauty like that of a shark. I prefer being on the inside of such walls.

When did mexico start building AR’s? (first pic) oh jeeze, river of Iron, I forgot.. As for the 2nd pic, the reason they are secret is they are direct rip-off’s of somebody else’s firearms. I’m betting HK. It has that HK look about it.

Used to love camping, diving and fishing in Baja, but its dead to me now.

Last time driving back from Los Cabos, we counted 12 checkpoints- all different agencies- Federales, Judiciales, Army, etc- it was obvious they weren’t looking so much for tourist smuggling, as protecting their own turf. Got to where it just didn’t feel comfortable to be there, and after kids came along, it made no sense to camp south of the border.

Agencies with non-public budgets routinely trace ships’ wakes for hundreds of miles through the ocean. The police could likely do the same thing with overhead imagery. Like the TIE fighter in Star Wars, a jet ski’s base has to be nearby.

They aren’t finding these guys because they don’t want to. Either due to intimidation or being on the BGs’ payroll.

They do not want kill their fellow countrymen but they have no choice. Why? Because of people like you. Your priorities are to feed, clothe, shelter and protect your families. That is what the government is for. You are selfish, racist and bigotted. Assuage your guilt. Repent. Vote Socialist. Allow foreigners to vote in our elections. Buy more controlled substances than you can afford. The new world order is counting on you.